The Meyer Minute for November 29, 2021

Advent is a time of preparation for what? I think most people will say, “Preparation for Jesus’ coming at Bethlehem.” Our minds see nativity sets, decorated homes and churches, and gatherings of family and friends. Consumerist media hypes Christmas purchases, all working together to dupe us into thinking Advent is simply getting ready for baby Jesus coming December 25^th.

If that’s what we reduce Advent to, how does baby Jesus in the manger help when the work and the challenges of the day are staring you in the face? Wouldn’t a sense of God’s coming now improve your attitude? When you are going through times of suffering, maybe even to the point of despair, wouldn’t a strong sense of Jesus’ presence, of an advent greater than Christmas, help you persevere? And when tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow stretch out before you, a fuller Advent than only getting ready for December 25^th will transform tedium into Te Deum, “We praise You, O God” because God gives you birth to a living hope at the comings of His Son here-and-now and soon in glory. Advent is easily trivialized as simply the birth of baby Jesus, but when you have put away the decorations and are going through the challenging times of your life, is the image of baby Jesus in a manger a “very present help in time of trouble?” (Psalm 46:1).

Think of the prayer to Jesus for the first Sunday in Advent. “Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and be saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.” Is our mental picture of baby Jesus in the manger the only way Jesus answers this prayer? Or isn’t this a prayer to Jesus grown, resurrected, exalted, and soon coming in power and glory, His second advent, to fulfill completely and forever His promises to us? That’s the greater advent we’re preparing for, Jesus coming again in faithfulness to His Word. “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).